Method of anchoring latch bolt casings



Oct. 19, 1965 RUSSELL 3,212,180

METHOD OF ANCHORING LATCH BOLT CASINGS Filed July 51, 1961 2Sheets-Sheet 1 iiliii.

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BY @Aalu [M Oct. 19, 1965 F. J. RUSSELL 3,212,180

METHOD OF ANCHORING LATCH BOLT CASINGS Filed July 51, 1961 2Sheets-Sheet 2 /9 llllllil I F Illlll H q INVENTOR FRED J. RUSSELLATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,212,180 METHOD OF ANCHORING' LATCH BOLTCASINGS Fred J. Russell, 3800 Don FelipeDrive, Los Angeles, Calif. FiledJuly 31, 1961, Ser. No. 128,088 2 Claims. (Cl. 29-453) The inventionrelates to locks and latches and has particular reference to latch boltsfrequently identified as tubular type latch assemblies wherein there isprovided a housing for the latch bolt mechanism separate and apart fromthe remaining portion of. the lock which is interconnected with' thelock upon installation of the several parts in a door.

This is a continuation-in-part of copending applications Serial No.707,931, filed January 9, 1958 (now abancloned) and Serial No. 779,134,filed December 9, 1958, now Patent 3,026,137, issued -March 20, 1962.

One of the problems which regularly confronts installers of typicalcylinder lock sets is the necessity, for having to provide anon-circular latch face and for having to attach the latch face to thedoor edge with wood screws.

It is accordingly among the objects of the invention to permit mortisingfor the face of the latch bolt casing by use of a step drill.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved methodfor anchoring a latch bolt casing which resiliently braces between thelatch bolt casing and the edge of the side hole in the door itself,thereby fasteningthe latch bolt casing to the door in a firm anddependable fashion in advance of mounting the operating mechanisminplace.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedmethod for anchoring a latch bolt casing which mounts the latch boltcasing independently in the door quickly and easily without need tosecure the latch bolt casing face to the door edge my means of woodscrews or other means.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedmethod of anchoring latch bolt casings which is sufliciently simple inits operation to permit acceptable installations to be made withoutspecial skill being involved.

Still further amongthe objects of the invention is to provide a new andimproved latch bolt casing anchor method which is sufi'icient tocompensate for variations in side hole locations in thedoor.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in themethod of operation and the construction, arrangement and combination ofthe various parts of the device whereby the objects contemplated areattained, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the appended claimsand illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a latch bolt casing anchored inplace by use of one form of the invention in a typical door and whichemploys the method hereinafter described.

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE1.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3'-3-of-FIGURE 1.

3,212,18 Patented Oct. 19, 1965 ice FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of ananchoring element of the type used in FIGURE 1, 2, and 3.

FIGURE 5 is a side elevational view of a latch bolt casing anchored in adoor by use of a second form of the invention.

FIGURE 6 is a transverse sectional view on .the line 6-6 of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of the form of anchor ing device used inFIGURES 5 and 6' FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 showing thedevice in a partially assembled condition.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG- URES 1, 2, 3 and4 there is shown a fragmentarysection of a door 10. A transversesubstantially cylindrical bore 11 extends from one face 12 of the door10 to another face 13. A hole forming a second and smaller bore 14extends inwardly from an edge 15 into and communicating with the bore11. With respect to the bores just described, they are formed in aconventional manner and have the same relationship as has been in usefor a considerable period of time for the mounting of door locks of thecylinder lock type with which this disclosure is concerned.

A latch bolt assembly included a casing 16 is here shown as beingsubstantially cylindrical in cross-section and has an annular plate orflange 17 located at its outer end in a postiion such that it bearsagainst the bottom of a depression 18 in the edge 15 of the door.

In the latch bolt casing is a reciprocating latchbolt 19, the mechanismof which is substantially conventional.

In the form chosen for the purpose of illustration there is shown aspart of the latch bolt assembly an extension comprising parallel plates20 and 21 which may be secured together by some appropriate-device suchas a rivet 22 in order to contain a hub 23 to which may be attached aconventional roll-back cam 24.

The parts identified are those which comprise any one of a number ofsubstantially conventional cylinder latch bolt mechanisms. In theinterest of clarity, the operating mechanisms featuring knob and spindlehave been omitted.

In order to anchor the latch bolt casing in the position illustrated inFIGURES 1, 2, and 3, a loop such as that illustrated in FIGURE 4 andidentified by the reference character 25 maybe employed. The loop shownby way of illustration is of relatively stiff resilient wire and isprovided with bent ends 26 and 27 and includes an arcuate portion 28. Inthe plate 20 are provided apertures 29 and 30 into which the bentends 26and 27 are inserted. When the loop is assembled with the latch'boltcasing the ends 26 and 27 are first inserted into the respectiveapertures and the loop is then sprung sufiicient to permit the arcuateportion 28'to be pressed into the position shown in FIG- URES l, 2, and3. As there illustrated, thearcuate portion is received within theinnermostend of the smaller bore 14, thereby locking it in place andbears against the junction of the inner end of the small bore 14 withthe larger bore 11.

When this form of the device is assembled, the latch bolt casing isfirst inserted in position, as shown in FIG- URES 1 and 2. It shouldpreferably be pressed as far in as it can beand until the plate orflange 17 is within the depression 18 and bears against the appropriateedge portion 15 of the door. The loop 25 is then applied as has justbeen described and when once in position the resiliency resident in theloop will tend to force the extension embodied in the plates 20 and 21inwardly or in a direction from left to right, as viewed in FIGURES 1and 2. This will tend to press the plate or flange 17 against the edgeof the door and will firmly anchor the latch bolt casing in properoperative position wherein the requisite operating mechanism can beattached in a substantially conventional fashion.

In a form of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 5, 6, 7, and 8 thesame latch bolt casing is mounted in the hole or bore 14 with plates 20and 21 extending into the midportion of the bore 11.

In order to anchor the casing 16 and attendant parts in the positionshown there is provided in this instance a wire spring 32 which is shownin perspective view in FIG- URE 7. The spring prefer-ably consists of .asingle length of wire wherein the wire is turned to form a loop 33 atthe mid-portion surrounding a hole 34. The diameter of the hole 34 isslightly larger than the outside diameter of a rivet end 31 so that theloop 33 can he slipped comfortably over the end of the rivet whereuponthe rivet is peened over at its ends to fasten the loop in place.Another fastening method is to force loop 33 to expand over the largerhead of the rivet and then to be retained by said rivet head.

Arms 35 and 36 attached to the loop extend outwardly in the general formof a V. The arm 35 terminates in a bent end 37 providing a roundedcorner 38 whereas the arm 36 terminates in a bent end 39 providing arounded corner 40. Initially the arms 35 and 36 spread into the form ofa V substantially wider than the spring will have when placed inanchoring position, it being understood that the arms can be pressedtoward each other in a springlike fashion wherein the resistance isprovided not only by the tension in the arms but also the tension in theloop 33.

When the casing including the latch bolt assembly with the spring 32attached is to be anchored by use of the spring 32, the spring arms arepressed together and the casing is inserted into the small bore 14 inthe same manner as previously described so that the plate or flange 17is received in the depression 18 and the plates 20 and 21 extend intothe bore 11 placing the hub in a substantially central position. Thespring 32 slides freely through the small bore as shown in FIGURE 8until it is entirely within the large bore 11.

Once in position the arms 35 and 36 spring outwardly away from eachother and the rounded corners 38 and 40 are forced outwardly intoengagement wit-h the wall of the bore 11. As described the springanchors with sufiicient firmness to hold the casing in its properposit-ion until .a spindle (not shown) of a conventional door lock canbe passed into and through the hub 23, after which the latch bolt casingcannot be removed in the absence of removal of the spindle. On thoseoccasions where it may be desired to remove the casing, removal can beaccomplished by the simple expedient of collapsing the arms 35 and 36against each other by manual pressure after the spindle has beenremoved, and the spring ends started outwardly through the small bore14, permitting extraction of the casing 16 and its attendant parts.

From the foregoing description of two types of spring member forremovably anchoring a latch bolt assembly and casing in a door it can beunderstood that the physical embodiments of devices shown exhibit amethod of attachment or anchoring by a spring-like agency, the importantaspect of which consists of making use of walls of the bore normallymade to receive the parts and pressing against oppositely positionedareas of the door in order to force and retain the latch bolt inposition by such agency.

The method herein made reference to where in certain specific types ofanchoring elements have been described is however one capable of usewith different of hardware, with springs of different descriptions andin configurations and variations which maydepart materially from thespecific structures but which nevertheless continue to employ the methodof pressing resiliently and simultaneously in opposite directions, onepressure being against the latch bolt casing and the other pressurebeing against some interior portion of the door and to perform themethod in company with these expedients.

It will be understood from the foregoing description in company with thedisclosure in the drawings that there has been provided a method foranchoring a latch bolt casing which assumes substantially conventionalforms and proportions such as may normally be employed and which needsno special design or construction other than the simple expedient shownin order by use of a simple anchoring element to be firmly anchored inplace upon the material of the door itself.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in what I haveconceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it isrecognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of myinvention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed hereinbut is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace anyand all equivalent devices.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new in support of LettersPatent is:

1. A method of installing a latch bolt assembly in a door, comprisingforming a configuration at the inside end of said latch bolt assembly,boring a transverse hole through the door from face to face thereof,boring a second hole smaller in diameter than the transverse hole from avertical edge of the door to a location meeting the first hole, forminga piece of resilient material into a self-expanding anchoring meanshaving opposite ends, forming a configuration at one of said ends to fitthe configuration of said latch bolt assembly, forming at the other endof said anchoring means a configuration adapted to engage portions ofthe door within the 'larger one of said holes, expanding said anchoringmeans transversely to a breadth initially greater than the distancebetween laterally opposite portions of said other end of the anchoringmeans at the location of engagement with said portions of the door,applying the configuration at said one end of the anchoring means to theconfiguration of the latch bolt assembly, inserting the latch boltassembly into the second hole from the edge of the door inwardly until asubstantial portion of the latch bolt assembly is located within saidtransverse hole, pressing a casing portion of said assembly against thedoor adjacent the edge, thereby to limit inward positioning of theassembly, and pressing said anchoring means into engagement with thedoor at said portion of said door within said transverse hole andanchoring the assembly in position by continuing expansion pressure ofsaid anchoring means at three or more points of contact between thelatch bolt assembly and the door at said portion of the door within saidtransverse hole, whereby to both center and retain said latch boltassembly in position.

2. A method of installing a latch bolt assembly in a door, comprisingforming a configuration on said latch bolt assembly, forming a piece ofresilient material into a self-expandable anchoring element havingopposite ends, forming a configuration at one of said ends to fit theconfiguration of said latch bolt assembly, forming at the other end ofsaid anchoring element a configuration adapted to engage portions of thedoor by spreading said other end wider than said one end in preparationfor multiple point contact with the door material in the area of saidtransverse hole, boring a transverse hole through the door from face toface thereof, boring a second hole smaller in diameter than thetransverse hole from a vertical edge of the door to a location meetingthe first hole, expanding said anchoring means transversely to a breadthinitially greater than the diameter of said second hole, applying theconfiguration of the anchoring element to the configuration of saidlatch bolt assembly, compressing the anchoring element and inserting acasing 5 6 portion of the assembly with the compressed anchor ngReferences Cited by the Examiner element into the second hole frorn theedge of the door UNITED STATES PATENTS inwardly until a substantialportlon of said assembly 1s located within the transverse hole, pressinga portion of 7001534 5/ 02 M01161 24-213 X said casing against the dooradjacent the edge, thereby 5 2,238,314 4/41 Falk 292337 to limit inwardpositioning of the assembly, and extending 2, 5, X '2 73 X the assemblyfar enough inwardly to anchor in position 2,508,702 5/50 Baume. byexpansion of said anchoring element, one end of said 2,636,235 4/53Nygard 24-100 anchoring element being pressed inwardly against one end2,945,712 7/60 Lewis 292-353 X of said casing and the other end of saidanchoring ele- 10 ment being pressed outwardly against the door materialWHITMORE A. WILTZ, Primary Examiner. in the area of said transversehole.

1. A METHOD OF INSTALLING A LATCH BOLT ASSEMBLY IN A DOOR, COMPRISINGFORMING A CONFIGURATION AT THE INSIDE END OF SAID LATCH BOLT ASSEMBLY,BORING A TRANSVERSE HOLE THROUGH THE DOOR FROM FACE TO FACE THEREOF,BORING A SECOND HOLE SMALLER IN DIAMETER THAN THE TRANSVERSE HOLE FROM AVERTICAL EDGE OF THE DOOR TO A LOCATION MEETING THE FIRST HOLE, FORMINGA PIECE OF RESILIENT MATERIAL INTO A SELF-EXPANDING ANCHORING MEANSHAVING OPPOSITE ENDS, FORMING A CONFIGURATION AT ONE OF SAID ENDS TO FITTHE CONFIGURATION OF SAID LATCH BOLT ASSEBMBLY, FORMING AT THE OTHER ENDOF SAID ANCHORING MEANS A CONFIGURATION ADAPTED TO ENGAGE PORTIONS OFTHE DOOR WITHIN THE LARGER ONE OF SAID HOLES, EXAPNDING SAID ANCHORINGMEANS TRANSVERSELY TO A BREADTH INITIALLY GREATER THAN THE DISTANCEBETWEEN LATERALLY OPPOSITE PORTIONS OF SAID OTHER END OF THE ANCHORINGMEANS AT THE LOCATION OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID PORTIONS OF THE DOOR,APPLYING THE CONFIGURATION AT SAID ONE END OF THE ANCHORING MEANS TO THECONFIGURATION OF THE LATCH BOLT ASSEMBLY, INSERTING THE LATCH BOLTASSEMBLY INTO THE SECOND HOLE FROM THE EDGE OF THE DOOR INWARDLY UNTIL ASUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE LATCH BOLT ASSEMBLY IS LOCATED WITHIN SAIDTRANSVERSE HOLE, PRESSING A CASING PORTION TO SAID ASSEMBLY AGAINST THEDOOR ADJACENT THE EDGE, THEREBY TO LIMIT INWARD POSITIONING THEASSEMBLY, AND PRESSING SAID ANCHORING MEANS INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THEDOOR AT SAID PORTION OF SAID DOOR WITHIN SAID TRANSVERSE HOLE ANDANCHORING THE ASSEMBLY IN POSITION BY CONTINUING EXPANSION PRESSURE OFSAID ANCHORING MEANS A THREE OR MORE POINTS OF CONTACT BETWEEN THE LATCHBOLT ASSEMBLY AND THE DOOR AT SAID PORTION OF THE DOOR WITHIN SAIDTRANSVERSE HOLD, WHEREBY TO BOLT CENTER AND RETAIN SAID LATCH BOLTASSEMBLY IN POSITION.